What is something that, no matter what, brings you back to your childhood? A taste? A smell? A place? What makes you immediately feel 10 years old?

Two things converged tonight to bring me back to my childhood. First, the weather. Day Light Savings Time is here and the San Fernando Valley couldn’t be more perfect in my eyes. Every year at this time I whoosh back to when I was a kid. Longer days, sunshine, and just a feeling of well being. I love this time of year so much, and there’s something about it that makes me feel like a kid again.

The other thing was unexpected. It was my friend’s birthday dinner and we had chocolate cupcakes with her favorite frosting, which I learned (from her best friend) is Rainbow Chip Frosting. I THOUGHT I had never had it before, but one bite brought me back to slumber parties in elementary school. It’s such a wild feeling to have that recognition with something you weren’t expecting to know at all!

So, what brings you back? And if it’s something easy to get that makes you feel young again… Go out and get it. Now!

One last thing. I’m thinking about the people in Japan, and I’m sure you are too. You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10.

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28 Responses to “Flawless Saturday Question”

Hearing some songs … When I was about 10, my cousin and I would spend the night at our grandma’s apartment while our parents went out. We’d go to this pizza place and they had a jukebox, three plays for a quarter. My cousin Stewart would play “China Grove” by the Doobie Brothers and my grandma usually played Sinatra’s “My Way.” …

Also, whenever I hear certain songs I think of men’s backward skate at Northridge Skateland around 1980 when I was 16. “Renegade” by Styx, Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Slow Ride” by Foghat fit there.

Other things that make me think of childhood: the sound of an ice cream truck (it’s 2010 and they still sound all tinny, playing “Turkey in the Straw” like it’s 1974!), Scottish meat pies, treacle toffee, or seeing a dog or cat that look like the ones I had when I was a kid.

What takes me back is when I see a Carnival in a parking lot. Every year my cousins and I would go to the local fairs ans carnivals. Our parents would be in the bingo tent and us three girls would have fun at the midway.This was in the 50’s and 60’s where the crime was a lot lower then it is now. In the small towns in NH everyone knew everyone and if we did do something that we shouldn’t our parents would know.

I really feel sorry for all those in Japan that have lost so much. My prayers are with them.

When I was 10 you were not even thought of. It was 1958. Even back then we were told not to talk to the carny folks. We were never scared to ride the rides but back then we didn’t have amusement parks where you could go to ride rides. That is not in NH or VT. Such a more simple life back then. I wish sometimes I could go back to those days. Then we didn’t have CNN and all the news stations and didn’t know the real dangers of strangers. I am not to sure I would let kids today go on rides at the carnivals and fairs. Maybe that is why I don’t have kids in my life. I would be way to protective of them.

Certain sounds in the car bring me back to when I visited my Grandmother. We were always on the go so we spent a lot of time in the car. Certain sounds do it plus going to a car wash. She wasn’t very good at that. One time, she left groceries on the top of the car and they were lost in the car wash. Another time, she kept insisting that I was imagining getting wet. When it was done, she realized that I wasn’t making it up – she had put my window down! LOL Also, any time I drive through an alley, I think of her and being in the car with her. She could go from any place to any other place without taking a “normal” street – she’d just drive from alley to alley.

Books. I spent my summers reading EVERYWHERE! In the backyard, in the woods, on the porch, in the barn hayloft….I loved to read all the classics, and went to the library with my mom every 2 weeks or so. So now, when I am in antique stores, yard sales or used bookstores, I am drawn to buy those classic stories. I have some fun memories on my bookshelves!

Oh my gosh, Carla! YES! Certain times in my life, books were the only things keeping me sane. I remember reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when I was away at camp. I remember my dad and I taking turns reading chapters of A Tale of Two Cities out loud in my room. I remember reading The Secret Garden one summer and feeling like I was inside that world. Books are transporting. There’s nothing like them.

The smell of wood. My grandpa would do a lot of wood working and making things and it brings me back to my childhood with him in his shop. But also the time change, his profession was a watchmaker and clock repair man. Changing clocks always makes me feel like I am a kid again. He had plenty. lol

Kevin Raskoff’s front and back yards, Woodland Hills, California. I was always the Harrison Ford characters in our ridiculously active role play. Indy, Han, whatever. Can’t tell you how many times we got on up on the roof of the house and pretended to fist fight and one of us would knock the other OFF the roof, leaping and falling into the swimming pool below. SO dangerous. NO parental supervision whatsoever. The Universal Studios stunt show on the tour circa 1980 was no help. I wish to return to that Ford side of myself. Thanks for reminding me of this, Lisa.

OMG, Koch. That terrifies me. You know if we had been friends back then, I would’ve been screaming at you to get down from there. Yes, even back then I was that person. I hope you get some more Ford time, though. That’s awesome.

Hebrew songs. Doesn’t matter where I am. (Although I’m usually at a wedding or bar mitzvah when I hear them. Never a honky tonk bar.) I instantly become 10 years old again. That, and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” And I agree with you about the Valley weather. At times, there’s something ancient and timeless about it. Can’t explain it.

Japan. Donated. Although now I am wracked with guilt that I’m spending any money at all on a friggin’ party. Ugh.

Carl, Hebrew songs do it to me too. Only certain ones, though. And I usually don’t even realize it until it gets to the chorus & all of a sudden I’m singing along!
Do not feel guilty about the party. You don’t have to stop your life, you just have to acknowledge others. You’ve done that. Now you keep them in your thoughts and enjoy life!!!!

sometimes like foods, like cherry sauce mum made for us. it was like a treat.
there pretty expensive to buy cherries here but its still the best tasting i ever had…its like thick purple creamy mix with cherries that just is soo yum…

summer hot days, following a huge ass storm…being scared cos we use to get huge huge storms.
like we use swim till the night, but even after night we would go back in and its like a bath….

i remember i got pepper put in my mouth by my mum cos i said the f word.
i said it again and she said what??
i said nothing….and ran that fast….